How much sex is required?

[DarcyLansdowne]

How much sex, I assume graphic, is required to distinguish between and erotically themed story and a non-erotically themed story?

 

[Weird Harold]

How much sex, I assume graphic, is required to distinguish between and erotically themed story and a non-erotically themed story?

None.

It doesn't require graphic sex to be erotic. A tease or build up to a "fade-to-black" for the graphic sex can be more erotic than a graphic description of Tab-A being inserted into Slot-B.

 

[Bramblethorn]

None. A story doesn't have to be explicit to be erotic. With enough attention to setup etc. it's quite possible to get a "hot" rating on a story with no graphic details whatsoever.

 

[ElectricBlue]

None, none, and I'd say "whatever is required"

Whatever is right for your story, the mood you are chasing, the nature of your characters. Whatever it takes to arouse, which might be a little, might be a lot. No rules apply. There is no singular answer, because out of every possible answer there will be one that is right for your story.

Just write whatever works for you.

 

[ChloeTzang]

How much sex, I assume graphic, is required to distinguish between and erotically themed story and a non-erotically themed story?

None. It's all in the images you create in the readers mind. One of stories is rated 4.6x and theres nothing but a kiss and a touch and a lot of inner thoughts. Erotic doesn't need sex, but it does need to get into the readers mind and capture their imagination.

 

[uksnowy]

I can't advise, but I don't write graphic sex because partly I can't and partly more interested in how they get to have sex. I do write details of bodies, clothing and attitudes

 

[NOIRTRASH]

The rule of thumb is 3 of anything.

 

[NotWise]

As others said earlier, no graphic sex is necessary to make a story erotic. On the other hand, the reception that your story gets is likely to vary a lot depending on which category you put it in and whether or not it's a standalone story or a chapter.

Romance takes stories with no graphic sex very easily. I've even seen them highly rated in LW. I don't think they'd be well accepted in Erotic Coupling or Incest/Taboo, though chapters with no sex can be successful in both of those categories. I don't know about other cats.

 

[Hypoxia]

Write as much sex as is necessary for your story. My highest-rated story has almost zero graphic sex. The next-highest is loaded with fuck-a-thons. Write the story and let the sex happen as it will.

 

[DarcyLansdowne]

Thanks but

I want to thank everyone for clearing this up for me. I now understand what is required for an erotic story, but I`m not sure I know what disqualifies it from being an erotic story.

To be specific I am working on a murder thriller novel in which the murders have a sexual element, and at the same time there is a love story with flirting but no sex.

Would it be right to put this in the novel category or the non-erotic themed story category.

 

[Areala-chan]

I want to thank everyone for clearing this up for me. I now understand what is required for an erotic story, but I`m not sure I know what disqualifies it from being an erotic story.

To be specific I am working on a murder thriller novel in which the murders have a sexual element, and at the same time there is a love story with flirting but no sex.

Would it be right to put this in the novel category or the non-erotic themed story category.

Either choice is fine, though if the murders have a sexual element I might go with 'Novels' just as a catch-all. Non-erotic readers, I think, have an expectation of basically nothing sexual going on at all. Novel/novella readers know they should be prepared for anything with such a catch-all category.

 

[TxRad]

The Non-erotic Category is for stories with no sex, erotic or otherwise.

 

[sr71plt]

The rule of thumb is 3 of anything.

My first reaction was parallel to James's--but mine was the standard Douglas Adams response to unanswerable questions: 42.

 

[Handley_Page]

I want to thank everyone for clearing this up for me. I now understand what is required for an erotic story, but I`m not sure I know what disqualifies it from being an erotic story.

To be specific I am working on a murder thriller novel in which the murders have a sexual element, and at the same time there is a love story with flirting but no sex.

Would it be right to put this in the novel category or the non-erotic themed story category.

Lit is a site where one CAN find erotic stories, but most authors are more concerned with the 'quality' of the story. You do not need the rumpi-pumpi to have a good tale.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Sorry, but I couldn't resist...

How much sex?

Only a pinch, if it's set on public transportation...

Just a dash, if hubby's coming home...

1 tsp for an adult dose...

2 rounded cupfulls for a breast fetish...

 

[sr71plt]

but most authors are more concerned with the 'quality' of the story.

I don't, for a nanosecond, believe that authors playing on the forum represent what most authors posting stories to Literotica are concerned with. I don't think that most authors posting on Literotica are concerned about the literary quality of what they post. (And I don't suggest that they should be, if they have other priorities.)

 

[ChloeTzang]

I don't, for a nanosecond, believe that authors playing on the forum represent what most authors posting stories to Literotica are concerned with. I don't think that most authors posting on Literotica are concerned about the literary quality of what they post. (And I don't suggest that they should be, if they have other priorities.)

Oh my. After reading thru so many stories here, literary quality isn't a priority for most lit authors. Maybe authors here but we're a tiny minority.

 

[TxRad]

Since most probably read one handed, then it must follow that a lot write the same way.

 

[OmnislashXX]

A story can be sexy and not have sex in it. By the same measure, a story can have sex but not be sexy.

Sometimes, going by chapters, some of my stuff may have very little to nothing going on. Or be jammed packed with action. Depends on the situation.

 

[Weird Harold]

To be specific I am working on a murder thriller novel in which the murders have a sexual element, and at the same time there is a love story with flirting but no sex.

That's going to be a hard sell on Lit. "Murder with a sexual element" is "Snuff" and won't get published by Lit unless you work very hard at avoiding any graphic connection between the murder and "sexual element."

 

[RoryOmore]

I don't plan on writing about the murders, only discovering the bodies afterwards, and discovering the sexual misconduct that led up to them.

Probably what I meant to say was the murders happen in a sex-charged environment.

Thanks to everyone for replying

 

[sr71plt]

That's going to be a hard sell on Lit. "Murder with a sexual element" is "Snuff" and won't get published by Lit unless you work very hard at avoiding any graphic connection between the murder and "sexual element."

I have several stories about murder with a sexual element published to Literotica. One won second place in the April Fools Day context last year.

In fact a story of mine posted this month that has a murder during sex ("Captive Temple Priest") It wasn't questioned in selection review.

It's sort of amusing how often posters here tell other posters what will be read favorably on Literotica when they haven't posted stories to Literotica for years, if ever.

 

[Green_Knight]

I have never yet had any comments about there being too much or too graphic sex in my stories.

Complaints about there being too little sex or too short sex scenes - plenty.

 

[Peach102]

A story can be sexy and not have sex in it. By the same measure, a story can have sex but not be sexy.

Sometimes, going by chapters, some of my stuff may have very little to nothing going on. Or be jammed packed with action. Depends on the situation.

I have never yet had any comments about there being too much or too graphic sex in my stories.

Complaints about there being too little sex or too short sex scenes - plenty.

I have been spending a lot of time on Lit lately and I have to say that I have come across many stories that beat the reader over the head with sex, sexual acts on every page. If it is a 3 page story, fine. But if we are talking about a 6 part story, I find myself becoming a little numb to it.

I have not read Green Knight's material (Will make a note to check them out), but I am guessing GK is spending time on characters and setting, not just on sex.

Something I have heard from more than one successful, published author is that if it does not move the story forward, it is not vital.

 

[sr71plt]

The Green_Knight account doesn't have any stories at Literotica--apparently doesn't want to be checked out.